It used to be booming rock music that signaled the beginning of UCLA football practice. On Tuesday morning, it was the shrill, sharp sound of a whistle blowing as an entire football team rolled between core exercises in unison.

Similar to what a military drill camp may look like in its organization, the Bruins rolled between different plank exercises, balancing on their elbows and lifting their legs in time with strength and conditioning coach Frank Wintrich’s whistle. It was focused and precise, perhaps a glimpse into what may come to define the next era of UCLA football under head coach Chip Kelly.

“The energy and the feeling is totally different here,” offensive lineman Andre James said Tuesday after UCLA’s first spring practice. “You can tell we’re excited to keep going.”

When asked what’s behind the sudden jolt of excitement, the jovial James offered a sudden serious answer.

“I feel like we’re just tired of losing,” James continued. “We’re trying to get back on track and I feel like this coaching staff is what we need right now.”

A 10-15 record over the past two seasons led to Kelly and his revamped coaching staff that includes eight new assistants. They took the field with the Bruins for the first time Tuesday after just getting to know the players personally as they worked through Wintrich’s offseason workout regimen.

While in the NFL, Kelly gradually got to know his players during the offseason as coaches could work with players on the field with no contact for two weeks to teach drills and introduce concepts before full practices. Even when he took over at Oregon, he knew the players from having been the offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons. This round of spring practice at UCLA is “brand new for everyone,” Kelly said.

“I have no idea what this team is all about so that’s what the whole spring will be about, just trying to figure it out,” Kelly said.

The 54-year-old coach has already made an impact on his players with his attention to detail in the team’s sports science program. Players have a second meal in the evening around 4 p.m. and any to-go boxes if they need food at home, in class or on the weekends. It’s always a healthy meal with lean protein and correct portion control. Hydration is closely monitored. Players wore GPS monitors during practice.

Tuesday’s practice placed a premium on pace as the team sometimes went as fast as 12 or 13 seconds between plays in team periods. Players were required to sprint off the field between reps. Kelly is famous for his up-tempo offense, but the reputation didn’t do it justice, even when players spent all winter running through a conditioning program tailored for the system.

“They said it was going to be fast,” safety Adarius Pickett said, “but it’s one thing between you hearing it and you actually doing it.”

Center of attention

It’s not the most high-profile position battle this spring, but UCLA’s search for a new starting center may be one of the most important. It’s so critical that the coaching staff plucked one of its most lauded defensive linemen and moved him to center.

Junior Boss Tagaloa, a former four-star prospect at defensive tackle who has played in 24 games at UCLA with eight starts last year, took reps at center Tuesday. Although Tagaloa was a key name on defense, his size (6-foot-2, 295 pounds) made him a candidate to move positions with the Bruins hoping to get better on the defensive line.

“Hopefully it is a permanent switch,” James said of Tagaloa’s transition. “How he looked today was fantastic. He’s just a natural out there.”

Notable

Receiver Kyle Philips is the only new freshman available for the beginning of spring practice. The four-star recruit enrolled in January for winter quarter. Kelly said he expects to add more members of his 2018 recruiting class for the second half of spring practice when the team reconvenes after spring break. … Sophomore Moses Robinson-Carr moved from tight end to defensive line. He played in five games last year with one reception for 4 yards. … Receiver Audie Omotosho (knee) and offensive lineman Alex Akingbulu (knee) returned from injuries that kept them out all of last year. … Defensive backs Colin Samuel and Keyon Riley, defensive lineman Jaelan Phillips, linebackers Josh Woods and Lokeni Toailoa, offensive lineman Michael Alves and tight end Caleb Wilson were all limited with injuries.

Thuc Nhi Nguyen has covered UCLA for the Southern California News Group since 2016. A proud Seattle native, she majored in journalism and mathematics at the University of Washington. She likes graphs, animated GIFs and superheroes.

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